Diesel

About 14 years ago, at a local antique store I spied two cats laying upside down on a beautiful oak bed that was for sale. I petted the cats. They had the softest fur I've ever felt. It was like rabbit fur. I asked the owner of the store about the cats and he said they were Ragdoll cats. I wasn't familiar with the breed and actually didn't know anything about pure breed cats. We only had wild barn cats. I asked if they were for sale and he said, "No, his wife would kill him. They were hers and that he brought them to work everyday."

Determined that someday I would find a breeder of Ragdoll cats and I would have one of my own. Years went by but I never forgot about those cats. Recently I found a reputable breeder and went to visit the kittens and hopefully take one home. I was in love the minute I saw the kittens - white fluff balls, running around chasing each other. One of the kittens seemed very interested in Superman and stayed still long enough to be petted. That was the one for us! The breeder didn't pick out names she thought she would become too attached to the kittens if she named them and then have problems giving them up. We thought over it and decided "Diesel" would be a good, big cat name.

I was nervous about the cat getting along with the two dogs. After a week of keeping them separate, and growing weary of the excited barking by Sissy (our retriever mix), I crossed my fingers and let them all loose in the same room. All went well. Sissy is a playmate for Diesel now. They rough house and the cat pounces on her. Sissy pins him to the floor and nibbles at his ears. Diesel can be heard purring while all this is going on. Max, our Spaniel mix, tolerates the cat. If the cat bumps into Max while he's sleeping, Max will growl at him. He apparently doesn't like to have his sleep disturbed - just like me.

Make no mistake - pets are alot of work. They required exercise and training. They are expensive. They are messy. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had a maid. But the unconditional love they give is well worth it. Savor the details.